seven devils all around you, seven devils in your house

[singmod]

JUNE 2024 EVENT

PART ONE — A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME: The Darkwalker claims another victim, and that is only the beginning of troubles for the Interlopers as they face a month of endless night and green gloom.

PART TWO — POLAR SUN: As June continues, Interlopers are faced with food insecurity as wildlife flees; tensions grow as they face hunger and the Darkwalker's continued influence. On the day of the Summer Solstice, the tension finally breaks and violent chaos descends upon Interlopers.

PART THREE — REPRIEVE: The end is in sight, and an ally comes to the Interloper’s aid.

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

WHEN: June 1st, then onwards.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area (Carter Hydrodam).
CONTENT WARNINGS: death of playable character; supernatural death; mention of dead body; themes of death; supernatural beings; themes of terror; themes of peril.

The evening is quiet and still. May draws to a close and while the sun does not completely set, it dips low enough for the sky to grow a little darkdim with twilight. The midnight sun is almost upon the Northern Territories, the air is warmer than it has ever felt — even if it remains chilly. If this is summer, it is but a gentle brush of reprieve against the unyielding winter. The Interlopers wind down for the night, many turn to their beds to sleep, others sit awake and ponder their existence in this world. They think of home, of loved ones, of their predicament here in this place. The Forest Talkers, the strange beasts and monsters they’ve encountered.

The moon wanes in the skies, nestled amongst the stars. For those still awake to notice, they can see it: slowly, one by one, the stars begin to go out. Then the moon's light is swallowed whole, and a blanket of green gloom descends upon the Northern Territories.

The sky is dark and green and terrible. Many of those will recognise it, what this means and what will come. Others will not understand it, not know what it is that awaits them all.

They will soon find out: the Darkwalker comes.

Under a green sky, a cold fear washes over you — squeezing the breath from your lungs. Interlopers will find themselves overcome with that fear, and everything in their bodies and minds tells them to run. To flee. And so you run, heading for cover. Curtains will be drawn, some may hide under beds, within closets or wardrobes. Some desperately attempt to conceal themselves, make themselves small, unseen. Some Interlopers, in that fear, may rush to friends or loved ones to hide with them, others may simply cower alone — crawling and whimpering away from the night. The fear is irrational, unable to be overcome — even by the bravest or most stoic of Interlopers.

For those within Milton, it is further away but is by no means less potent: Interlopers will find themselves frozen with the constant loom of the Darkwalker’s arrival — even if it does not come to Milton. Those within Lakeside, however, will feel the true force of this presence: more like a knife edge — painfully gripping your heart as it draws close.

The Darkwalker howls: indescribable, unnatural, demonic. Low moans and groans. It comes from the east, the faint booms of footsteps in the distance growing ever nearer. It is coming, once more. It's coming for one of you. And still, you are powerless, unable to do anything. And it is an agony, awaiting its arrival. You cry, you whimper, you cower. Curling up for some shred of comfort, and finding none.

For those in Lakeside, through the fear, they may be able to note the path: a straight line from the east towards Carter Hydrodam. It seems to go on forever, building into a crescendo. Your heart beats so hard you fear it may burst from your chest, as if you might die of fright.

There is an almighty sound; the Darkwalker devours and even with the distance you can hear it. The sound of gnashing teeth, and… laughter. There is no scream, no bright light in the sky — Enola is silent this time. There is only that laughter, echoing off into the night.

The skies do not return to normal. The green gloom hangs in the air. It is done, but it is not yet over. While the overwhelming fear dissolves away, but a kind of… dread remains on the air — almost palpable.


The Darkwalker has devoured another. Braver souls who go out to investigate into Lakeside will find just who has been devoured once they reach the Hydrodam — although it may be a day or two before they will find the body in the medical bay.

At least it is cold enough that the rot does not fully set in — but death will certainly be here.

And this is but the beginning of the Interloper’s troubles.

POLAR SUN

WHEN: The month of June, up to Midsummer’s Eve + Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton area; Lakeside area.
CONTENT WARNINGS: themes of survival; food scarcity/food insecurity; supernatural weather; altered mental states; mental manipulation; themes of violence; potential character injury; potential character death; potential NPC death.

In the coming weeks and days, and weeks, the green gloom lingers. From the Darkwalker’s attack, there is no sun. No day, no night. No stars or moon or sun. No Auroras. Just the gloom and biting cold. Life becomes increasingly hard on Interlopers: higher expenditure on fuel — fires and lanterns are imperative to keep the darkness and the cold at bay.

With the green gloom in the air, the wildlife becomes more scarce — as if it has been frightened away into the deeper parts of the wilds. It will be harder to bring in fresh meat in both Milton and Lakeside, and Interlopers will find that they will have to rely on whatever stores they have — and perhaps even rationing for a while.

And it’s not the only thing frightened. Even with the debilitating fear that comes with the Darkwalker’s attack gone, there is still a kind of fear that lingers on the air that slowly eats away at the Interloper’s resolve over time.

Interlopers will find themselves anxious, on edge. Some will be prone to anger in their fear, others prone to fits of melancholy: tearfulness and sorrow. Between the cold, the lack of fresh game and the fear on the air — it’s no wonder spirits are low. Bickering and minor upsets between Interlopers are likely.

They call it the midnight sun, the polar day. It's opposite is the polar night. This is neither and both. On the day of midsummer's eve, that fear on the air is even more palpable. The air feels a little stifling at times, as if the pressure is all off — often quite oppressive, a strange kind of tension. There is something brewing, a low burning thing that begins from the moment Interlopers wake — heavy and sharp in their chest.

’So, Interloper. What will you do now?’ A voice sneers in your ear. The very same voice that has haunted Interlopers since the very beginning. The Darkwalker finally speaks after all these weeks of gloom since its most recent attack. ’When all is gone, when even the sun does not rise? What will you do then?’

A nervousness sits within you as you remember the Darkwalker’s words. What will you do if the sun does not rise? If the darkness is all that is left? If the food runs out? Your wonderings will continue to gnaw away within you. The darkness is hollowing.

’Will you lean on others, like you have always tried to do?’ the voice continues. ’What bonds you hold with them, the ones with those around you. But how strong are they, truly? Can you trust them? Will it matter when your belly is empty and your heart is low? Perhaps it is time to see.

’Never forget, Interloper. I am the Rot. And I will rot within you.’

As the day progresses into the Solstice, that tension lingers in the air, and the wonderings within you continue to wear at you. You find yourself becoming more and more agitated as time goes on. Those feelings that have been brewing for some time now have started to grow close to boiling. You may snap at others, grow restless, become enraged at the tiniest of things — the upsets wildly out of proportion for the smallest slights or issues.

You find your thoughts wandering, too. Perhaps it is to someone you know in this place, or perhaps it is to someone previously unknown to you. Maybe you have an issue with this person, or perhaps the voice’s influence extends further — not only adding to your agitations but creating them, too. A slight, a grudge, a bias.

You feel a bitter gnawing within you. The nightmarish green gloom above you persists and everything bubbles up from within. From the dark, the anger within you become too much. The tension finally snaps.

For some, it might come out as a vicious argument where you air your grievances, or finally let slip the things you’ve been holding close to your chest. A verbal beat down, incredibly hurtful in nature. For others, things may be drawn to getting physical. A literal beat down where your fists grow bruised and bloody, or perhaps even worse. Whatever it is, you want to do damage to someone else — there is darkness here, and so many things come out in the dark, don’t they?

Like a ripple, all around you: all hell breaks loose. Chaos erupts, and the air is filled with violence.

Let’s hope you might stop, or someone else stops you, before someone gets killed.

REPRIEVE

WHEN: Circa three days after the Summer Solstice.
WHERE: Milton.
CONTENT WARNINGS: blood.

All things must come to an end, even the most violent of deadly storms. In the midst of the seemingly endless violence of the night, you find yourself outside. Maybe you're fleeing from another Interloper, maybe you're desperately trying to reach someone you care for, maybe you're simply trying to find somewhere new to hide. Interlopers are hunting one another, blood lies on the snow, bodies too — some breathing, some not.

Perhaps it is a trick of the light. Perhaps it's the Darkwalker’s influence still warping your already frayed mind. Or it's the blood in your eyes, your battered and bruised body struggling to get through it all.

In the gloom, you see it. See her.

A woman, dressed in furs, stones and shells glimmering on her chest like armour, stands in the snow before you. Thin and pale, eyes sunken. Her chest heaves with each breath as she looks around with wide eyes. Her hands are bare and bloody. It drips slowly from her fingers. Is it her blood? Or someone else's? You cannot tell, but you cannot mistake how thick it coats her skin.

Her head turns to look at you. You are stunned, but not frightened. Even through the gloom, after a moment or two, her eyes widen in recognition: she knows you.

Slowly and silent, other than her noisy breathing, she draws close to you. Maybe in turn you draw close to her, closing the distance between you. Up close, her eyes are blue, and sad. You cannot mistake the sorrow in them. She is tired, weary. Her hair is dark, worn loose and long. For some, you feel as if you've seen her before, but you can't quite place her face.

Softly, she says your name.

For some, there may be no recognition. This woman is a stranger, who knows your name somehow. She has been silent the past couple of months, after all.

For others, hearing her speak brings a sudden, jarring realisation: this is Enola.

She’s here. Enola. All this time, she’s whispered to you in dreams, in static, in the very air itself.

She raises one hand, dark and dripping in the green light. Lightly, her fingers brush against your chest. You don’t feel the pressure of them, don’t feel the odd heat of blood — only the weight of her stare as she holds your gaze. It’s a long moment of peace in amongst the chaos.

You feel her exhaustion, a tiredness that sinks into your very bones. Apologies, too. You have never known anything like it. But there’s something else too, something that takes a moment or two to put your finger on. Defiance. A renewal. Something shifts in the air, a growing tension, different from the kind that’s been held on the air throughout the month. It’s the coming of a storm, the rolling clouds, the growing rumble of thunder before the first lightning strike.

Enola nods, her expression grave. She pulls away and turns from you — her head lifting towards the skies as she walks. Her arms raise, bloodied hands twisting and tensing before her. They curl, almost into fists, and she makes a gesture: the slow tearing of something huge and invisible before her — a shriek spilling from her lips. A battle-cry, a last stand, a wail of agony. It echoes.

The sky cracks and splits open before you, dazzling light and colours blinding your vision into pure white. The world tilts too hard below your feet, and you don’t remember passing out.

When you awaken, Enola is gone. The skies are clear and blue, the sun is high in the sky. As you pick yourself up from the snow, in the harsh light of the polar day, blood has never looked so red. The horrors of the night laid bare. Interlopers are dead, but the Darkwalker’s influence is gone. For now.

In the wake of Midsummer, all Interlopers can do is try reconcile. Bury the dead, rebuild, lick wounds. But that feeling in the air still remains — that different, new kind of tension that has come with Enola’s appearance. The first of the lightning bolts has struck, but more are coming.

FAQs

A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME

1. Alexander Hilbert has been devoured by the Darkwalker. His remains can be found in the Hydrodam. The following note has been left by Kates concerning his death: ‘Sveta gets possession of his research notes + blood samples + creepy lab journal because it's all in Russian, lmao.’

2. Information on the Darkwalker’s attack can be found here.

3. Usually, after the Darkwalker attacks, the sky would return to normal. This won’t happen. Instead, the usual atmospheric changes that occur during Darkwalker attacks will remain in place as June continues..


POLAR SUN

1. For an idea how the setting appears for June, it's like what you see in the game during the Escape The Darkwalker Challenge. Inside, there'll be a degree of green shades to rooms etc via what comes through windows but with it being lit up via fires and light sources, the gloom will be chased back.


2. Characters are free to use this event to kill NPC Interlopers. Methuselah and Young Bill are off the table, as are two marked NPC Interlopers. Please let Mods know if you intend on doing this for record keeping!

3. These acts of violence can be physical or verbal altercations, players are encouraged to work with the prompt however they'd like! However, anything potentially world-altering (ie. building destruction) must be first discussed with mods.

4. Interlopers under the Darkwalker's influence can be stopped in a number of ways. Showing genuine care and compassion in the face of violence is one way. Knocking an Interloper out is another way. Sometimes killing an Interloper may be needed, or simply restraining them and keeping them locked up somewhere so they can't hurt anyone else until the night is over would also work.

5. Talismans made by Heartman back in March with a Ward Sigil against the Darkwalker will come into effect during this prompt. It's been an ongoing process, with new Interlopers being offered them from their arrival. Players are free to choose what kind of talisman they received, or if they chose to get one at all. Their effectiveness is dependent on the type of blood used on the talisman.

— Animal Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from animals found in the world, such as deer, rabbits or wolves will find themselves more susceptible to the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They will be much harder to break out of the hold over them, and become almost frenzied state.
— Monster Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood from any creatures or monsters that Interlopers have encountered in their time in the Northern Territories, such as the Serpent from December’s TDM will find there are no negative nor positive effects. The talisman is essentially useless. and Interlopers will fall under the Darkwalker's influence.
— Interloper Blood: Interlopers carrying talismans using blood for Interlopers will be offered protection/resistance from the Darkwalker’s influence and disposition towards violence. They may be slightly affected but will have their wits about them more compared to others. If the blood came from an Interloper with an Aurora Feat — this protection/resistance will be largely increased, an the Interloper may even feel braver, less affected by the fear in the atmosphere.
— No Talisman: Similar to the Monster Blood Talisman, Interlopers will be affected typically by the Darkwalker's influence in due course.

There are no additional affects with an Interloper using their own blood, just if they have an Aurora Feat or not.

6. Animals owned by Interlopers will be more frightened and will want to hide away in the build up — they will be disturbed by the world. Mostly lying down and whining/restlessness. They may display some signs of aggression on occasion, but not to the same degree of humans.

7. Forest Talkers are hidden away and will not be able to be reached during the Solstice.

REPRIEVE

1. Enola can only be met alone, but she will appear to all Interlopers in Milton.

2. Enola will be nowhere to be found afterwards, there are no tracks to be followed. She has simply vanished.

PLOTTING POST

Comments

[wingbound]

Whether or not Levi had ended up with some sort of community service (and, potentially, self-inflicted exile) it seems he's found enough time to visit the town hall, see Chloe's note, and then find his way here. He knows it's potentially dangerous, but he does want to help, and, well. Knowing that Chloe has a gun certainly helps, too. She won't be helpless if the creature somehow takes control of him again.

He doesn't have much of a green thumb, honestly -- or rather, never really had the chance to find out whether he does or not -- but deconstructing some cabins is definitely something he can do.

He stops a few meters away, watching Chloe for a while before finally resolving to announce his presence.

"You were looking for help."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe looks over at the voice, then retracts her measuring tape and steps back. “Yeah. You saw my note? I've got seeds. I just need to build somewhere for them to grow.”

[wingbound]

"Yeah." Well, she's not running from him, so that's probably a good sign. Maybe the people here were less unsettled by the whole thing than holding a fucking trial would have one believe.

"Haven't done much building, but if you tell me what you need done, I'll manage."

[desperate_times_right]

Hey, just because Chloe hasn't been called up for this trial thing doesn't mean she didn't do anything. Besides, there's a saying about glass houses, right?

“Right now I'm trying to get some of the uninhabitable cabins into pieces so I've got some stuff to work with.”

[wingbound]

There indeed is. Of course, Levi is none the wiser, at least until he stumbles onto her chowing down on somebody in the woods.

"I can do that." He looks around to see if she's got any spare tools, but he'll probably do well enough with bare hands if needed. How hard is it to rip planks off a wall? (Harder than he remembers, for sure. But doable still.)

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe’s got a few mismatched pieces lying around, mostly various types of hammers.

“Do you know how to use any of this stuff?”

Of course he knows how to use a hammer, but does he know how to use it and wind up with usable wood afterward?

[wingbound]

He picks one up, weighing it in his hand. "More or less."

There's a non-zero chance he's used one to crack someone's skull at some point, but he's also spent years having to do his own home repairs. Of course, nobody had been there to let him know whether he did anything wrong, but it did the job, so at the very least he should have function over form down.

He'll start off with what's left of the easy parts -- taking off planks that had been used to board the windows; if Chloe already took care of it, inner walls will be next.

[desperate_times_right]

Levi is pretty strong for a little guy - Chloe hadn't really picked up on that before and revises her opinion of him a little.

She's mostly been at the stage of work where all the materials are there and you stare at them hoping the job will do itself, so it's good to get started.

She grabs a hammer and starts copying whatever he's doing.

“You ever used a greenhouse before?”

[wingbound]

For the better, hopefully.

Window planks it is, then. Of course, Chloe is welcome to help. He still seems to be favoring one arm over the other -- a remnant of an injury during the goddamn Purge -- but it doesn't appear to affect his efficiency in a significant way.

"No," he says after a moment with a slight frown. He may have seen one at some point, maybe, but nothing really grew in the Underground and then he was too busy in the military to think of taking up gardening. "You?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Nope,” Chloe says, peeling a board back with a grunt. “Haven't lived in one place long enough to put down roots in a long time. We grew little plant babies at school once though.”

Hers had died but that's not important.

[wingbound]

Levi makes a vague noise of acknowledgement as he pulls out a stubborn nail with the back of the hammer, but then pauses for a moment, gears turning in his head.

"Plant babies?" he confirms, as if unsure if he heard that right. What kind of a school was that? Weren't people supposed to learn reading and writing there?

[desperate_times_right]

“Yeah. To like, teach you how to raise a baby or whatever.” She shrugs. “I don't think you're supposed to water a baby that much, though.”

[wingbound]

He's still struggling to comprehend the concept.

"Is it... a baby made out of plants? How does that teach you anything about kids?"

[desperate_times_right]

“It's a plant you raise like a baby.” Get with the program, Levi! “I think they mostly did it to avoid having to talk to us about sex.”

[wingbound]

"They need completely different things." So his question still stands. He will not, in fact, get with the program!

He also seems genuinely confused about the whole avoiding talking about sex to kids part, mostly because that shit is everywhere and unavoidable as far as he knows; not talking about it doesn't do shit. "Why?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Didn't want us to know about it, I guess.” It hadn't exactly kept Chloe from sinning.

[wingbound]

"That's stupid," Levi says flatly and drops a few more boards into the pile. Looks like it's time to start dismantling the interior; it will require a bit more force but they should manage.

[desperate_times_right]

“It was.” Chloe nods decisively. “That's how it is, though. I wish I had a crowbar.”

It would make things inside a little easier.

[wingbound]

"There's probably some around." The town is big enough, even if obviously not every citizen would just have a crowbar laying on their property.

In the meantime, whatever short leverage they get from the hammers will have to do.

[desperate_times_right]

“Probably. Maybe at the farm? I'll check later.”

Chloe’s no slouch, but she's built more for endurance than brute strength, so this isn't easy.

“You’re stronger than you look.”

[wingbound]

It's probably a good idea. They should be able to get started as is, but a crowbar would definitely be helpful once they move onto more sturdy structures, like the floor, roof and support beams.

There's a momentary pause where Levi seems to be considering whether this is a short joke, but eventually does respond, biting back the urge to point out that he's still not, in fact, as strong as he should be right now.

"I've heard that before."

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe senses a little bit of defensiveness there and smiles.

“Not such a bad thing, being underestimated. Helps you come out on top.”

She eyes the boards for a moment before moving to pry one with her hammer.

[wingbound]

"Yeah, it does." There's no argument there, he's definitely won a number of scuffles by letting his opponents think he's small and weak, especially when he was still young. But it didn't take that long for him to gain a reputation, which put an end to such misconceptions.

Mostly. He still ran into some guys who had never heard of him before, or heard of him but didn't recognize him. Too bad for them.

"It's still annoying sometimes."

Like when people talk him down or don't trust him to handle something just because he's a little vertically challenged. He's mostly made his peace with it, but an unexpected remark still stings every now and then.

[desperate_times_right]

“Tell me about it,” Chloe isn't exactly short, but she's used to people underestimating her for other reasons. She knows a thing or two about reputation, too.

“As long as you can help me out, I really don't care.”

[wingbound]

"Good."

Unless she wants to add anything else, he'll stop the conversation there, focusing on dismantling their chosen cabin and muttering swears every now and then when met with a particularly stubborn piece of wood.

A few hours later and they have themselves a pretty wrecked cabin, and a pretty sizeable pile of planks and wood. Levi stares it down, picking up a few pieces to hold them together and then putting them back down, as if waiting for inspiration.

"Do we have a plan for this? It needs to let in light, right?" So all this wood might not actually be as useful as, say, windows might be. He doesn't know about translucent polyethylene that could be pulled over a wooden frame, but that would probably need to be scavenged around town anyway if there even exists any.